Kildare dual stalwart ratified as new Longford hurling manager
The Coill Dubh and Allenwood legend has won club titles in hurling and football as a player
Former Kildare dual star Johnny Byrne has been ratified as the next Longford Senior Hurling Manager.
Byrne will take charge of the 2026 Lory Meagher Cup champions, succeeding his former Coill Dubh teammate Diarmuid Cahill.
Byrne has a decorated career at both club and county level, winning Kildare Senior Hurling Championship titles with Coill Dubh in 2014 and 2015, the latter as captain and claiming both the Kildare and Leinster Intermediate Football championships in 2023 with Allenwood.
Byrne played at the highest levels for his county as a dual star for over a decade, featuring on the U21 Leinster Football Championship winning Kildare team in 2013 and as a regular defensive powerhouse under the Senior teams guided by Kieran McGeeney, Jason Ryan, Cian O’Neill and Jack O’Connor.
Having started his intercounty hurling career at a young age in the early 2010’s, Johnny retired from the football panel to concentrate solely on hurling at the end of the 2020 season, going on to win the Christy Ring cup in 2022 and helping Kildare to top spot in Division 2A in 2023.
Longford GAA Chairperson Derek Fahy welcomed Johnny’s appointment saying “Johnny has a fantastic track record of winning both on and off the field at both club and county level. He will be a tremendous addition to the Longford Hurling scene as we look to build on the success of League promotion and Lory Meagher Cup glory in 2026. We wish him, his management team and the county hurling panel all the best in 2027 and beyond.”